This invention relates to the field of auxiliary power sources and, more particularly, to portable auxiliary power sources which may be used to start various machines with disabled batteries.
One common application for portable auxiliary power sources is to xe2x80x9cjump-startxe2x80x9d vehicles, such as automobiles and boats, which have disabled batteries. A jump-start procedure requires positioning a vehicle with a charged battery adjacent to a vehicle with a discharged battery, and connecting both batteries via cables with battery clamps at each end to allow the disabled vehicle to be started. This procedure suffers from several limitations, such as the requirement that a xe2x80x9crescuexe2x80x9d vehicle be available, and that both vehicles be positioned closely together to permit the jump-start.
To alleviate these drawbacks, many portable auxiliary power sources have been developed and are well known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,235 to Clore discloses a portable battery jump starter which comprises a housing equipped with a battery having jumper cables connecting the battery and battery clamps. In this unit the jumper cables and clamps are stored externally on the sides of the housing when not in use. U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,342 B1 to Eggert et. al. discloses a portable battery jump starter which includes a plastic, clamshell-type housing enclosing much of the recharging componentry. However, this design also provides for external storage of the cables and clamps.
External storage of the cables and clamps leaves these components exposed and unprotected, thus creating a risk of damage and raising other safety issues related to the electrical nature of these devices. Thus, while these prior devices address the problems inherent in jump-starting, they create new issues of durability and safety. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved portable auxiliary power source which provides greater durability and safety.
The present invention is directed to a portable auxiliary power source that encases all components within a rigid, watertight housing, dramatically reducing the potential for damage and safety risks.
In an illustrative embodiment of the invention, the auxiliary power source includes a clamshell-type housing having a bottom section and a closeable top section which are connected via a hinge. The housing is secured in a closed position by dual locking latches, and a handle is provided for portability. The housing defines a chamber which fully encloses all components of the invention. As a result, the risk of damage to exposed components is eliminated. The housing further includes a watertight seal located along the joint between bottom and top sections. As a consequence, all of the internal components are shielded from water penetration when the housing is in the closed position. This prevents corrosion of metal parts during storage, such as the recharging cables and clamps.
A battery is stored in the bottom section of the housing. The battery includes a plurality of voltage cells and has a positive and a negative terminal. A pair of recharging cables is also provided. The proximal ends of the cables are connected to corresponding terminals of the battery, while the distal ends are connected to the cable clamps. These clamps are used to electrically connect the power source of the present invention with a discharged battery, and to deliver an electrical charge to that discharged battery.
A control panel is mounted above the bottom section of the housing and includes a storage tray, a work light, charge status indicator lights, a 12 volt DC power accessory receptacle/recharging socket to recharge the battery, a 12 volt charging port, an AC charging port, a printed circuit board, and an on-off switch. The cables and the clamps are stored in the storage tray and are removably secured by clamp covers and velcro straps to prevent damage from movement. A printed circuit board is mounted underneath the control panel and supports the circuitry that controls operation of the device.